Stretcher



M. V. HUBBARD.

STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILYED AUGLZG, 1919.

Patented May 4, 1920.

FIGURE-l 5 FIGURE. 2. 7

H' ATT RN Y MORRIS V, HUBBARD, OF SAN JOSE, 0A.:I JIFOR'NI-Av STRETCHER.

inseam.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented May 4., 1920.

Application filed August 26, 1919. Ficrial No. 320,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Monnrs V. HUBBARD, a citizen of the United .itates, and resident of San dose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of (lalifornia, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Stretchers, of which the following is a specifioation.

My invention relates to an improved form of collapsible stretcher, and it is the object of my invention to provide a stretcher that can be quickly and easily collapsed or extended, in which the framework can be quickly and easily separated from the canvas portion thereof, and that will be strong, durable and collapsible into small space.

In the drawing v Figure 1 is a plan view of the stretcher, partly collapsed, part in section and part being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged illustration of one end of one of the side members with an end bar inserted therein in an operative position, partly in section and part broken away.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the part shown in Fig. 2.

1 is an enlarged plan view of one side member having an end member operatively inserted therein. and canvas mounted thereon, partly in section and part'broken away.

In efi'ecting my invention as shown, I provide a pair of pipes 1 and 2 of suitable length and diameter, these pipes 1 and 2 supporting canvas 3 which is provided with looped portions 5 to engage the pipes or side members. a

These supporting side members are spaced and held by end spacing members 6 and 7 which also ser'veas handles for the stretcher. Member 6 is mounted in side member 2 and looks into one end of side member 1. while member 7 is mounted in side member 1 and locks in side member 2. Since the two end mounting and locking constructions are the same but onewill be described in detail and corresponding parts oi: the other ind cated by corresponding nun'ierals followed by the letter a the Figs. 1 and 2 being reversed in order when read in connection with member 6.

Pivoted to one end of member 7 is a bar 8 having an annular groove 9 formed therein to provide shoulder 10. Bar 8 is of smaller diameter than the interior of membar 1 and fits easily into the end thereof as ber 1. Groove 9 has an outwardly slopmg suriace 16 for the purpose hereinafter described.

To the opposite end of member 7 is pivoted a head 17 which is contained in member 2 when in an operative position, there being a slot 18 in member 2 to permit the positioning of member 7 as shown. Head 17 is provided with an annular groove 19 adapted to engage pin 20 onspring 21, the said spring 21 being held in position 011 the exterior of member 2 at 22 and pin 20 passing through orifice 28 in member 2.

As a means of withdrawing pin 11 from engagement with shoulder 10 I provide a strap 2st secured to the free end of spring 12 as at 25, this strap being secured to canvas 3 by a snap-button 26 when the device is assembled, and likewise a strap 27 is attached to the free end'of spring 21 as at 28 and secured to canvas 3 by snap-button 29.

In order to place canvas 3 under the requisite tension when in use I form a curved outer surface on head 17 as shown at 30. Approximately midway of the length of member 1 is a stop 31 against which is placed a compression spring 32.

hen the device described is collapsed member 7, with bar 8 and head 17 is forced back into member 1 and against spring 32 so that the three parts are contained in member 1 and held by the engagement of pin 11 with groove 19. When members 1 and 2 have been inserted in loops 5 in canvas 3 pin 11 is removed from engagement with groove 19 thereby allowing spring 32 to force the members 8, 7 and 17 outwardly whereupon they are drawn out by hand until pin 11 engages shoulder 10, the member 7 then being swung around and head 17 forced into the end of member 2 until pin 20 engages groove 19. The proportions of these parts are such that when the end of member 17 enters member 2 some effort is required to force it clear into place as the curved surface 30 engages the inner surface of member 2 thereby forcing the two members 1 and 2 apart against the tension of canvas In collapsing the structure the pin 20 is removed from engagement with groove 19 by pulling outwardly on strap 27 and spring 21, and then pulling head 17 out memher 2 and forcing the members 8, 7 and 17 back against spring 32 in member 1. until pin 11 engages groove 19 in head 17. The sloping surface 9 is provided on groove 10 so that pin 11 will readily pass there over whenthe device is collapsed. The buttoning of straps 524i and 27 to canvas 3 is merely to hold them in fixed position when they are not in use.

From the above description it will be seen that when the device is collapsed it occupies only the space of the two side members and the canvas. W hen a patient is placed on canvas 3 the framework may be readily attached thereto and the whole carried by end spacing members or handles Likewise a patient may be deposited u pen a bed or table and the framework quickly removed without further disturbance to the patient.

It is understood that changes in form, construction, proportions and method of operation may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible stretcher, a pair of side members having housings formed in each end thereof, a pair of end members, each end member being jointed near the ends thereof whereby to engage housings in both side members and insertible in its entirety in one of said housings, means for locking each end member in position w en earo housings in both side members, and m for locking each end member in position when inserted entirely in one housing.

2. In a collapsible stretcher, a pair of side members, having housings formed in each end thereof, a pair of end members, each end member being jointed near the ends thereof whereby to en age housings in both side members and insertible in its entir ty in one of said housings, means for locking each end member in position when engaging housings in both side members, means for locking each end member in position when inserted entirely in one housing, and re silient means for ejecting said end member when said last mentioned locking means is released.

3. In a collapsible stretcher, a side member having a housing formed therein to receive an end member when the stretcher is collapsed, resilient means positioned in said housing, an end member adapted to be inserted in said housing'when the stretcher is collapsed, and means for locking said end member in said housing against the outward pressure of said resilient means.

i. In a collapsible stretcher, a pair of side members having housings formed in each end thereof and a flexible supporting memher mounted thereon, and a pair of end members adapted to engage housings in both side members when in an operative position and insertible in one of said housings when in an inoperative position, and having means formed thereon whereby said flexible member is placed under tension when said end members are placed in an operative po sition.

5. In a collapsible stretcher, a pair of side members having housings formed in each end thereof andafiexible supporting member mounted thereon, and a pair ofend members adapted to engage housings in'both of sair side members when in an operative position and insertible in one of said housings when in an inoperative position, anl having means formed thereon whereby said flexible member is placed under tension when said end members are placed in an operative position, and means for loclring'each of said end members in its respective housing.

6. In a collapsible stretcher, a pair of side members having housings formed in each end thereof and a flexible supporting member removably mounted thereon, each side member having a resilient means positioned in the housing at one end thereof, a slot formed in each end thereof and a spring actuated pin operatively mounted to project a distance into each housing near the end thereof, and a pair of end members, each end member having an end bar pivotally mounted thereon and provided with'a shoulder adapted to engage one of said pins when inserted in one of said housings, and a head pivotally mounted on its-other end and pro vided with a shoulder adapted to engage one of said pins when inserted in the other of said housings, the said pivotally mounted bar having a surface sloping inwardly away from said pin engaging shoulder, and said pivotally mounted head having a curving contour whereby said side members are forced apartwhen it is inserted inits re spective housing.

Mourns v. HUBBARD, 

